The Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop poll of the nation’s music critics is a big deal… to the 1,500 or so music critics who participate. This yearly stock-taking of the critical hive mind typically reminds us of the conservatism and herd mentality of the country’s opinion-havers on the music beat. There are a handful of writers whose lists deviate from the predictable norm, and you can determine who they are by a gauging system of selection similarity that accompanies the results (some guy with too much time on his hands tallies these stats; may Allah deluge him with blessings). The last few years, I’ve ranked near the bottom of P&J's critical pool for sharing affinities with other voters’ selections. And this is why I can’t have nice things.

Anyway, Pazz & Jop ballots have been sent and the results will be published Jan. 18, 2012 at villagevoice.com. However, in this dead zone between Christmas and New Year’s, there’s hardly fuck-all happening in the music world and the ravenous blog monster must be fed. So I’m going to give y’all a sneak peek of my top 10 albums and top 10 songs—but just half of my picks. Which half? Not telling. :p

Feel free to post your favorite albums and tracks of 2011 in comments. You have hardly fuck-all to do till Saturday, right?

½ of Dave Segal’s top 2011 albums list for Pazz & Jop

Demdike Stare- Triptych (Modern Love)
Andy Stott- Passed Me By/We Stay Together (Modern Love)
High Wolf- Atlas Nation (Holy Mountain)
Cut Hands- Afro Noise Vol. 1 (Very Friendly/Susan Lawly)
Planetary Assault Systems- The Messenger (Ostgut Ton)

½ of Dave Segal’s top 2011 tracks list for Pazz & Jop

Tobias- "Observing The Hypocrites" (Ostgut Ton)
CHLLNGR- "Ask For" (Green Owl)
Danny Brown- "Adderall Admiral" (Fool’s Gold)
Seefeel- "Sway" (Warp)
Woods- "Out Of The Eye" (Woodsist)